USC Upstate softball ready for the big stage

Thursday

May 16, 2013 at 12:01 AMMay 17, 2013 at 1:19 AM

Spartans to open NCAA tournament play on Friday against Western Kentucky.

By TODD SHANESYtodd.shanesy@shj.com

It might seem like the impossible dream for the other three teams in the Tuscaloosa, Ala., Regional of the NCAA softball tournament.Beat defending national champion Alabama.USC Upstate and Western Kentucky are making their first appearance on this big stage. Jacksonville State is there for the fifth time in six years, but this season needed a remarkable run for the No. 6 seed just to win its own league tournament.USC Upstate, riding high after winning the Atlantic Sun Conference, will open 4:30 p.m. today against Western Kentucky and with a win, gets a likely first shot at Alabama.“I'm dying to beat Western Kentucky and play Alabama,” USC Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins said. “That would be so fun. Even if you lose, you could come back and if you beat Jacksonville State, you'd get another crack at Alabama.”The Crimson Tide (42-13) is the No. 10 overall seed of the tournament and would be in line to also play host in a Super Regional. Alabama has won 19 straight in regional games, outscoring opponents, 158-30, with eight wins by mercy rule. Ace pitcher Jackie Traina has an ERA of 0.68 in 20 2/3 innings, holding opponents to a batting average of .059.“Does it seem impossible? To most people, yes,” Hawkins said. “But we'd sure like to try.”Alabama has not been quite as dominant as last season, going 13-11 in the Southeastern Conference. USC Upstate is 1-1 against the SEC, losing an 11-0 game at Florida and winning at Georgia, 8-5. Hawkins said the Spartans have improved in dealing with hostile crowds, having beaten Lipscomb on its home field for the A-Sun championship.“There were a ton of people there yelling and it wasn't good stuff toward us. We handled it,” Hawkins said. “The first time we went into an environment like that, against Florida, we didn't handle it very well. Now after beating Georgia and Lipscomb, I think the girls are comfortable.”In all honestly, however, those crowds pale in comparison to the ones Alabama draws. Official attendance for USC Upstate's game at Florida was 423. It was 478 for the conference championship game in Nashville, Tenn. Alabama routinely has more than 3,500 fans.“Alabama has the No. 1 crowd in the country,” Hawkins said. “They'll pack 'em in.”The Crimson Tide lost five of their last six regular-season games, however, and was eliminated by Florida in the SEC tournament. Alabama played one A-Sun team this season, beating Florida Gulf Coast, 2-1, in February. Western Kentucky (41-16) earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament after finishing runner-up to South Alabama in the Sun Belt Conference. The Hilltoppers swept three games against Lipscomb by a combined score of 20-4.Jacksonville State (30-25) limped into the Ohio Valley Conference tournament having lost seven of its last nine games but got hot at the right time. The Gamecocks played Alabama in February and lost, 11-3.USC Upstate has a .331 team batting average, 10th best in the country, and the Spartans' pitchers own a 2.25 ERA while holding opponents to a .213 batting average. They are also the best defensive team in the country with a fielding percentage of .983, committing just 21 errors while the second-best team, Florida, has made 33.